“All of my hopes and dreams have come true and he is awesome,” the new mom says. “I was actually joking earlier that if Nick could nurse Camden he would! If he had boobs, he would do it!”
While he may not be able to manage the midnight feedings, the proud papa has stepped up to the plate in all other areas — particularly his ability to simultaneously perform the sway and shush!

“He literally can cradle Camden and swing him around and do, ‘Shh, shh, shh.’ He does that so perfectly because for the first couple of weeks I couldn’t bend … so Nick took that role and he is awesome at that!” Vanessa, 31, shares.

“My thing is the obvious. I’m the feeder. I’m his meal ticket. As soon as I’m done feeding him, it is Nick’s time.”

Despite being blessed with a sweet-natured son, the strong spousal support — and extra set of helpful hands! — were much-needed during the first few weeks with baby.

Although admittedly forewarned as to sleep schedules and feeding frenzies, Vanessa wasn’t prepared for the time-consuming task of meeting a newborn’s needs. That is, until the full effects of a serious lack of shuteye began to kick in.

“I didn’t understand that they need to eat every two to three hours at first and then three to four a little after that. And that each feed can be up to one hour with the changing and the shushing and the swaddling,” she explains. “Sometimes we literally had 15 minutes between him falling asleep and then having to wake him for the next feed. I’m like, ‘This goes on 24 hours a day and no one told me about this part of it!'”

But even the late-night hours, countless diaper changes and endless swaddling sessions can’t put a damper on the new parents’ profound happiness.

“I am still in shock and we look at him and we are like, ‘We made this!’ I know it sounds corny and cheesy, but it is your love personified,” she says. “I love everything about being a mom — looking at him and seeing him and hoping and praying that he will be a gentleman and a good man and a supportive friend. All my hopes for him are through the roof.”

Clearly smitten with their son, Vanessa and Nick have already penned cute nicknames for their 8-week-old, but with his football fanatic dad already showing him the sports ropes, it seems as if Camden’s full moniker also takes his countless career possibilities into account.

“As he gets older, [we’ll call him] CJ Lachey. That’s going to be his sports name or stage name — or doctor’s name!” jokes Vanessa. “One of my girlfriends calls him, ‘Cam Cam.’ I call him Buddie, actually, and Nick calls him Cambone.”

Does anyone know if Vanessa had a c-section? Her comment about not being able to bend over made me wonder.

Jennifer
on November 6th, 2012

Not to nitpick since I know the joking point she was trying to make, but men do have ‘boobs.’ It’s not like the man doesn’t have breasts, he just doesn’t have lactating ones. ;)

Charleen
on November 6th, 2012

Yes, it is indeed possible for a man to lactate as their have been several documented cases of fathers doing just that, mostly in third world countries, though none of them intentionally tried to induce lactation. Men have the same mammary glands as women so it is possible for the to produce milk. For a man to do so though he would have to employ the same technique women who wish to breastfeed adopted children or who wish to relactate after having stopped breastfeeding do. It does appear to be much harder for a man to induce lactation then a women as several men who publicly announced their intent to try and to do so eventually gave up without any success.

Marky
on November 6th, 2012

Well, I’m happy for this couple; they have a cute baby, and I’m glad they are enjoying him. If she couldn’t bend over for several weeks, she must have had a c-section; wonder why no mention was made of that at the time, since her fans couldn’t do anything but ridicule Jessica for having one. If she had had a vaginal delivery, she could have bent over in an hour. Nothing wrong with a c-section, if you need one, but wonder why she didn’t mention it……..

torgster
on November 7th, 2012

Why in God’s name do they wake him to feed him? If he needs feeding he will wake up on his own. Stupid.

Anonymous
on November 7th, 2012

I delivered vaginally and it hurt for me to bend for a long time.

Maggie
on November 7th, 2012

I love these two! I wish them nothing but the best!! I hope someday they have a girl! ;)

Kels
on November 7th, 2012

Waking our baby every three hours was the direction of our pediatrician and the BEST thing we ever did. If you haven’t tried it, don’t knock it! Since 8 weeks, he has slept through the night and he’s now a year old. Most older relatives disagreed with it saying, Don’t wake a sleeping baby etc etc but it was a positive for us! Good for them!!

Lisa
on November 7th, 2012

I had to wake my oldest son to feed him. He never woke for feedings and the doctor said some babies don’t get the hunger feeling; he would have been malnourished otherwise. We woke him every 5 hours, though.

Donna
on November 7th, 2012

Wakes him for the next feed? Who it their right mind wakes a sleeping baby? Oh, that’s right….they are parents for the first time! lol

brandy
on November 7th, 2012

Some of you people must be SO BORED with your own lives that you insist on coming on this webite and making the most idiotic comments and NITPICKING on everything that someone says. YES she was JOKING when she said if nick had boobs. YOU KNOW what she meant. yes men have breasts still unless youre a moron you know what she means….

Jaybee
on November 7th, 2012

Marky, a vaginal delivery takes time to heal from too. She may have delivered vaginally and still not be able to bend over. You obvs don’t know what you’re talking about.

mama308
on November 7th, 2012

To establish milk supply and help babies gain weight, it is often recommended to wake them every 3 hours to eat, especially in the first week or two. It is not that absurd. As soon as they are gaining weight well, you can let them sleep (this was my pediatrician’s advice).

Anonymous
on November 7th, 2012

Guess they haven’t heard the saying never wake a sleeping baby. Unless there is a medical reason, let a baby sleep. They will wake on their own when they are hungry.

Jenjen82
on November 7th, 2012

Some babies need to be woken up and some babies don’t! Give this new mother a break! All babies a re different! My son really loved to eat and sleep as well! So sometimes I would have to wake him up to feed him! It also helps to put them in a schedule as far as feeding! They eventually respond to it even though they are still little! Enjoy motherhood Vanessa. You are blessed!

lol
on November 7th, 2012

She couldnt bend ? really? What did she have done that she couldn’t bend? All I know is they both need jobs badly. Selling Tide & Pampers won’t do.

Mandy
on November 7th, 2012

I was told to wake my daughter at least every 4 hours. I didn’t listen. She put on weight fine without it & she eats every 2 hours still & she is almost 6 months old. She has been sleeping through the night since about 3 weeks old. Every baby is different though so the comparisons should stop.

Carrie
on November 7th, 2012

Ahhhhhh….I love these two. I have been a fan of them ever since they got together. Their new baby is just the icing on the cake – such a sweet, sweet family.

Christina
on November 7th, 2012

For all those people commenting about waking up a sleeping baby- sometimes you have too. My daughter was only hours old, but she had to be woken up to feed since it had been like 5 hours since her last feeding. I was told by DOCTORS to wake her up and keep her on a feeding schedule since she was borderline premie and tiny. Do not call Vanessa stupid and be hateful because she is doing what she feels is right for her baby. We all have different parenting styles, so let it be.

Elizabeth
on November 7th, 2012

Congrats to them but WHY would you wake a sleeping baby to feed them? When they sleep is when they grow! If they’re sleeping they aren’t hungry!! Geesh……………

Lena
on November 7th, 2012

I am so sick of these celebrities talking about breastfeeding. Who freaking cares how you feed your baby? They all wind up sounding pretentious and trying to one up eachother. Breastfeeding helped me lose weight! Breastfeeding helps me bond! I am my baby’s meal ticket! I am so sick of it. Keep something to yourself.

Tieraney
on November 7th, 2012

Who cares how she delivered? And that she “never mentioned” if she had a c-section or not. Why would anybody care, and whose business is it anyhow?

Nannyto1
on November 7th, 2012

They wake him up to feed him??? Seriously? Maybe I was a bad Mom and grandmother because I NEVER did that. Never wake a sleeping baby…when they’re hungry they’ll wake up.

Madia
on November 7th, 2012

It’s necessary to wake them the first 2 weeks at least, while building up your supply of breast milk.

Jules
on November 7th, 2012

I had the same reaction to Vanessa’s quote about waking the baby to feed. We woke our baby the first night home from the hospital after much discussion. She wasn’t really too interested in being awake, so after that night we left her tell us. All of us got more sleep and she let us know when she needed us. By 3 weeks, she was sleeping 6 hours, by 3 months, through the night. There is no right way, just the way that works for you and your child.

Jennifer
on November 7th, 2012

Brandy- I find it ironic that you make statements about people being SO BORED that they come to this site to nitpick about things said, and yet, YOU come here and namecall strangers and NITPICK what they post. Pretty amusing. I also think you maybe should take some of your downtime and attempt to get a sense of humor yourself. See this ;) ? It means it was a lighthearted comment aka a JOKE. You know, like the kind Vanessa made that you are so hellbent to defend.

did it
on November 7th, 2012

I delievered vaginally 7 months ago and it hurt to bend down or move for about 2 weeks. Her comments are very truthful. I read BabyWise and it says to put the baby on a schedule and wake to feed. My pediatrician told us he needed to eat every 1.5 to 2 hours initially and then every 3 hrs (starting about 8 weeks even until now at 7 months). It worked. sometimes we’d have to wake to feed but my son started sleeping through the night at 7 weeks. It would take sometimes 45mins-1 hour to feed him, change him, swaddle and put him to sleep and then it’d be time to feed him again! it’s a painful time but once they start getting bigger and can go longer w/out feedings, it gets better!

Marky
on November 7th, 2012

Jaybee, I have not only had several babies vaginally, I was an L&D RN. I think I know a thing or 2 about vaginal deliveries, c-sections, and all the rest. I was up and doing whatever within hours of delivery, even when I had an episiotomy once with a posterior delivery. People sometimes act as if having a baby vaginally is so physically stressful they can hardly wiggle for months after delivery, and beside that, they can’t put the baby down, even to take care of their other children, shower, or comb their hair.

I very much believe in taking care of yourself, and even being doted on by those around you for a couple of weeks, BUT what I said stands. I don’t know anyone, a patient, friend or family member, who couldn’t bend over for several weeks after a vaginal delivery, and I merely said, it sounded as if Vanessa MAY have had a c-section, and simply not said so. I don’t think it’s anyone else’s call either way, just said she MIGHT have done. After what most of you have said about so many other celebs, I think my comment was pretty mild!

Jess
on November 7th, 2012

From my personal experience, I could not bend over or even walk around the block after I had my baby vaginally. It took me over 12 weeks to heal vaginally bcuz I tore so badly. But I couldn’t bend over for several weeks. With my 2nd baby, I walked over a mile at a show the week after the birth. It honestly just depends on the person & their experience. Each one is different.

Lilly
on November 7th, 2012

Wow all of you are vicious bitches. Probably just jealous she has a husband who actually helps her & because she’s not a fat cow after having a baby….

Tara
on November 7th, 2012

Oh you’re just suchhhh the expert Marky..you want a cookie? Maybe the world of women should just consult with you before they do anything in life since you know everything and what you say stands. Get over yourself girl, as a nurse you of all people should know that one’s healing process is different than the next depending on a wide variety of circumstances.

Jennifer
on November 7th, 2012

Lilly- Put a mirror up to yourself. You call the people here vicious bitches and yet look what you type out yourself. How ironic. BTW, your lust for Nick is pretty obvious. Funny you try to spin it by putting strangers down. ;)

Anonymous
on November 7th, 2012

Lena- It sounds like you tried to breastfeed but couldn’t, and then were made to feel bad about it. If that is the case, I’m truly sorry, and I don’t blame you for not exactly feeling warm and fuzzy when you hear someone talking about bfing.

That being said, however, I also don’t think it’s fair for you to expect other people (celebrities or not) to not talk about their positive experiences with bf. They shouldn’t have to hide those (or the benefits they’ve reaped from bfing. It DOES help moms and babies bond and it DOES help some women lose weight, among other things, like it or not!) anymore than you should have to hide your apparently not-so-positive experience(s).

If reading about positive bfing experiences really bothers you that much, then it might be best not to visit a site devoted to mothers, fathers, and babies! Just saying!

Anonymous
on November 7th, 2012

Marky- Why didn’t she mention that she had a C-section if she did? Maybe because it’s nobody else’s business!

Anyway, it sounds like Vanessa and Nick are enjoying Camden a lot! :)

Daisy Mae
on November 8th, 2012

The smiles on Nick & Vanessa’s faces tell they are very proud parents!!!!!

So happy for them, job well done. Sending my Blessings of LOVE & KISS

robinepowell
on November 8th, 2012

They wake him up to feed him? Camden will wake up on his own for feedings, so when he sleeps, let him.

Babies are very good at letting you know when they’re hungry, among other things.

Janna
on November 8th, 2012

What a shock! A bunch of hags moaning about how these people are already parenting wrong!

Anonymous
on November 8th, 2012

robinepowell- Read the previous comments. Not all babies wake up when they’re hungry and some DO have to be woken to feed if you don’t want to risk malnourishment!

Anonymous
on November 8th, 2012

lol- What did she do that made her unable to bend? Um, how about GIVE BIRTH?! A C-section makes bending pretty much impossible for a bit, and as other posters have pointed out, even a vaginal delivery can make doing so extremely painful for awhile!

And to those who say don’t wake a sleeping baby, like pp have said, it is necessary to wake them for and during feeds when breastfeeding to establish proper supply. More people would know this…..if you breastfed.